Tobacco-cutter



" (No Model.)

J. GOODALB. fTobaoo Cutter.

- Patented April 26,1881..

"-PERS. PNDTO-UTHOGRAPNE. WASHINGTON. D C,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN GOODALE, OF CAMBRIDGE, ASSIGNOR TO THE CUTTER TOWER COMPANY, OFBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

TOBACCO-CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 240,512, dated April26, 1881.

Application filed September l5, ISSQ. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN GooDALE, of Cain bridge, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Tobacco-Cutters, of which the following is aspecification.

My said invention will be first clearly de` scribed in the followingspecication, and th en more specifically pointed out and defined in theclaims annexed thereto.

Referring to the drawings which form part of this application,Figure 1is a central longitudinal section of my invention. Fig. 2 is atransverse section upon the line w, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transversesection upon the line y y. Fig. 4 is a view of the knife detached.

A in the drawings indicates an outer tubular casing, made of anysuitable metal, and burnished or plated with silver or nickel to give itan ornamental appearance. A female screw-thread is cut upon the interiorsurface of said case from its lower end, as seen in Fig. 1, to a pointnear its upper extremity.

B is a forcing-nut, having I a male screwthread cut upon its periphery,to engage with the female thread formed upon the interior face of thecasing A. The forcing-nut B is cut away throughout its central portionto permit a rectangular inner case, C, to pass through it. The nut Bclosely` surrounds this inner case, C, as shown in section in Fig. 2.Wit-hin the rectangular casing C is fitted a plunger or follower, D,which is connected to t-he forcing- V nut B by means of screws a a,passing through slots b b,whicl1 are cut in the inner casing, C, andwhich extend from end to end thereof. The follower or plunger D is ofrectangular form, and exactly fits the inner oase, C, in order that itmay easily move therein and at the same time have bearing upon its innerface. The inner rectangular casing, C, is either cast solid with orotherwise attached to a casinghead, E, near the upper extremity of theouter casing, A, as shown in Fig. 1. This head E lies closely againstthe casing A, and is confined therein by means of screws o o, passingthrough the outer case and entering acircumferential channel or slot, d,cut in the head E, as shown in vertical section in Fig. l, and intransverse section in Fig. 3.

F is an open cap fitting over the upper extremity of the outer casing,A, and connected to it by means of a bayonet-joint, consisting of aright-angled slot cut into the edge of the casing A, as seen at e, Fig.1, and a pin,f, projecting from the inner surface of the open cap F,said pin being adapted to enter the open end of the slot, and thencepass into the horizontal slot, which has a slight offset, g, adapted toretain the pin f in place. This part F, I call an open cap, for thereason that it does not inclose or cover t-he open end of the outertubular casin g, A, but is cutaway throughout its central portion,leaving only a circular flange, G, project-ing inward from the upperedge of the outer casing.

H, Fig. 4, represents a cutting blade or knife of peculiar construction,its cutting-edges t' i being located upon the opposite sides of theblade, and extending from each end to the center thereof. These cutting-edges, moreover, are beveled off or inclined, as shown in said Fig. 4,so that they are at an acute angle with the horizontal axis of theknife. At each end of the blade H is drilled a perforation, a', wherebythe knife may be fastened, by screws entering said perforations, to theflange Gr of the open cap F. i

A removable dome-shaped cap, I, incloses the upper extremity of theouter case, A, being screwed upon the outside of the open cap F. Asimilarly-shaped cap, l', closes the lower extremity of said casing, thecap last named being rigidly fastened to the rectangular inside caseinthe manner illustrated in Fig. 1.- viz., by means of a narrow flange,i', turned under a shoulder formed on the cap I', or by soldering theinner casing to said cap, or in any other suitable manner.

At the central point of the blade H, an d projecting from the lower facethereof, is formed a nipple, a2, having a sharp point and daring towardits base, where it joins the knife H, for

' a purpose presently to be described.

The operation of my invention is as follows The tobacco, in the form ofa hard plug, as it is sold by dealers, is introduced within the innercase, C, by simply removing the open cap F by means of the bayonet-jointe f, already described. This leaves the upper end of the inner casing,C, open, as the cap I comes off with the open cap F. By rotating thelower cap, I', and grasping the opposite end of the implement, theplunger or follower D may be drawn to the lower end of the inner casing,C, and the plug may then be inserted, its low-er end resting upon thetop of the said plunger, and its upper end reachingto the top, or nearlyto the top, of the casing-head E. If the plug is too large to comewithin these limits, it should be trimmed or cut into the properproportions by the dealer at the time it is purchased. After insertingthe plug in the manner described, the cap F, with the close cap Imounted thereon, should be replaced. This brings the knife H just abovethe end of the plug as it lies within the case C. Now, by holdingthelower cap, I, in one hand, and with the other hand rotating thecasing A or the cap I, a rotary motion will be imparted to thecutting-blade H, and at the same time the plunger or follower D will begradually driven upward by means of the forcing-nut B, thereby feedingthe plug to the knife as fast as it is cut by the blades orcutting-edges t' z', the cuttings or chippings of the tobacco beingretained within the hollow dome-shaped cap I, from which they may easilybe removed by unscrewing and removing said cap and emptying itscontents. The point or nipple a2 upon the under face of the blade H,being located in the aXis of revolution of the plug, and being driveninto the end thereof, spreads the leaves of the plug laterally outwardand into a position to be operated upon by the cutting-edges z' z'. Itwill be readily seen that without such a device there would be a pointabout the center of motion in the plug upon which the knife would failto act, and the result would be the formation of a core from the plugwhich would remain uncut and seriously interfere with the operation ofthe device.

Some obvious modifications of construction may be adopted in place ofthose shown. For example, instead of fastening the casing-head E withinthe outer casingin the manner shown, I may cause the screws c c to enterau annnlus which may lie in the slot'cut in the head E, or just beneatha narrow flange turned over from the inner casing, C, until it touchesthe inner face of the outer case, A. Moreover, the open cap F and theclose cap I may both be made in one and fastened by t-he bayonet-joint ef alone.

The advantages of this invention will be obvious to every smoker. Oflate years the use ofplug-tobacco in meerschaum and other pipes hasrapidly increased, and those accustomed to its u se are well aware ofthe great difculty with which the plug is out up. Besides thedisagreeable nature of the task from the sticky juices of the plug withwhich the fingers are stained, and the manner in which the tobacco foulsand dulls a pocket-knife, the work is peculiarly apt to produce cutfingers and blistered hands. As the plug dries it becomes harder andmore difficult to cut, although it is in a better condition for smoking..By my invention, however, l have produced an article which may be'carried in the pocket and serve as a case or box for the tobacco, whileit will also cut the hardest plug with even less expenditure of forcethan is necessary in the tobaccocutters ordinarily used in the shops.The plunger D feeds the plug to the knife at such a speed that thelatter will cut a thin shaving from the end of the plug, whereby thedevice is easily operated and the cut tobacco is in a better conditionfor smoking. The hollow cap I is intended to hold labout one largepipeful of tobacco. The cutting-blade H is so shaped that it may be usedfor a long period without fouling or needing to be sharpened.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In an implement for cutting plu g-tobacco, the combination of anouter casing, a follower moved from end to end thereof by a screw, aknife rotating against the end of the plug, and a hollow cap adapted toreceive and retain the cuttings, said cap being detachable from thecasing, as and for the purpose substantially set forth. l

2. The combination, with theinteriorly screwthreaded case A, of therectangular inner casing, U, the forcing-nut B, the follower D, the

knife H, and detachable hollow cap I, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

3. As a new article of manufacture, an implement for cuttingplug-tobacco for smoking, consisting of an outer case, A, an innercasing, (l, adapted to receive the plug, an automatically-operatedfollower, D, a rotating knife, H, having a central spur or nipple, a2, aforcingnut, B, and a hollow detachable cap, I, all as and for thepurpose substantially set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN eooDALE.

Witnesses OHAs. B. TILDEN, ZENAs S. ARNOLD.

roo

